Disclosure
by Lae Bevin
Summary: Walk away with Severus. Walk away with that Gryffindor prefect last December. Walk away with that sixth year Hufflepuff tonight. Just walk away from him."


**Disclaimer: **you know the way this part goes…

**Author's Note: **I absolutely love Josh Groban. Listen to "My Confession" with your eyes closed… imagine it were Remus Lupin (not David Thewlis, for heaven's sake)… enough said.

**Disclosure**

**_April 1976_**

The fire was softly crackling on the furnace as Gryffindors slowly desert the common room. Only five people were left busily scratching their quills on parchment. Elyse Hogeboom, fifth year, was halfway through her lengthy Charms essay. Henry Hitchcock, seventh year, was re-writing the list of potions he needed for the Potions remedial class he was going to attend the next morning. Philomena Binchy, another seventh year, was fussing over her Defence against the Dark Arts homework. It was understandable behaviour from these Gryffindors since they had their tests coming up in a couple of weeks.

However, the common room had two other occupants who were not in O.W.Ls nor N.E.W.Ts level yet. Remus Lupin was busy reading the same book Philomena used as reference and Lily Evans was reading and re-writing her essay for McGonagall. She had just finished reading a book her sixth year Ravenclaw friend lent her. She found new information for her ten-inch essay.

Everything was normal around the common room. Everything except the Grand Piano J.K. R'phael forgot to dispose of. She used it earlier that evening to entertain her housemates who enjoyed the Bevin-Black brawl-free night.

One by one, Elyse, Henry, and Philomena retreated for the night. Remus and Lily, on the contrary, were still wide awake. Both students weren't showing signs of drowsiness. They remained in their own areas, Remus on one side of the squishy couches by the fire and Lily on one corner with a table undistinguishable from all her school things.

After some good, and quiet, fifteen minutes by themselves, Sirius Black entered the common room. Out of breath and apparently proud of himself, he completely ignored the other two people in the room. This must mean only one thing. He and Lae Bevin were at it again. The two Gryffindors were fighting and pointlessly duelling once again, forgetting all the school rules they must have broken while they were at it. Sirius only a had a second to catch her breath then he left for the dormitory, leaving Remus and Lily's unasked questions unanswered.

Around five minutes later, the scent of chocolate filled the room. Remus and Lily saw the source of the scent standing in front of them. Lae Bevin stood before them, covered in chocolate. Her fiery red hair was unrecognisable but her blue-green eyes were obviously glaring.

"Don't bloody ask," she threatened. "I know he's here. I can bloody sense him so there's no bloody point denying it." She mumbled between clenched jaws.

A dozen cleaning charms ran through Lily's mind while Remus decided not to ask why Lae was covered in chocolate. She actually looked like she was going to hurt the next person who asked. He half-knew the answer anyway.

"BLACK! You have better found a fucking way out of that bloody dormitory because I am sure gonna fucking get you if you stay there and bloody hide!" Lae's voice must've woken Hagrid and her stomping must've disturbed every house-elf at Hogwarts. She stormed out of the common room and into the boy's dormitory.

"Chocolate?" Lily couldn't believe her eyes.

"I know. And Sirius must have done something else because it would've taken Lae a second to clean herself if she could."

"I can't imagine what Sirius has done this time." Remus and Lily didn't even bother to stifle their giggling anymore.

"Well, I better hurry and collect Lae." But Lily didn't seem to hurry. She even took her sweet time in replacing all her school things inside her bag. Three loud crashes came from the fourth year boys' dormitory. "Aren't you going to bed yet?" Lily asked Remus, as if chaos wasn't breaking loose upstairs.

"No, not yet. I'm too awake to go to bed." He answered.

"Oh, alright, but _do_ try and get some sleep tonight. And don't stay up too late." Another loud crash and definitely a victorious laugh from Lae signalled a break from the unending battle between Bevin and Black. "Good night." Lily smiled and walked to the spiral staircase.

Once the noises from the boys' dormitory faded, Remus had already indulged himself into the pool of new facts the book generously offered him. Just as he was about to start a new chapter _(Chapter 21: Defensive Wandless Magic)_, another Gryffindor entered the tower. The wizard was locked in a battle against the towel around his blond hair.

"Alex?" asked Remus after surveying the features of the boy in front of him.

"Oh, hi," Alex responded, apparently pleased with himself for finally winning. "I thought everyone else was upstairs." As it was two in the morning, Alex assumed that everyone must be snoozing in their beds.

"Er – I wasn't really sleepy." Remus said.

"You're _always_ not sleepy." Alex smiled and started ruffling his hair again through the towel.

"Alex, er, you're the only person I know here at Hogwarts who doesn't use a drying charm after bathing." Remus didn't want to sound like he was suggesting anything.

"Ah yes, well, you see, I like to keep it natural… _normal_, I mean." Then Remus remembered that Alex was muggleborn. "And besides, I love the way my hair is messed up after a bath." Alex thought that his habit was unusual to Remus. It was a bit hard to keep track of muggleborns, Remus thought, especially when a wizard is as good as Alex.

"Well, I think you'll find James, Sirius, and Peter repairing the dormitory." Remus thought it would be kind of him to warn his roommate of the mess he was about to encounter upstairs.

"Let me guess, Lae?"

"Uh-huh." Remus lifted his legs and rested them on the long couch.

"Hey man, listen, um, I got some stuff written. Would you mind looking at it?" Alex pulled something out of his pocket.

"Sure, alright." Remus brought his legs back down. Alex sat beside him and Remus conjured a table.

"Oh, thanks," Alex placed the parchment on the table. "See here, I've got lyrics done and all. And I've also done a bit of guitar going on. I just have to have back-up." He looked hopefully at Remus.

"You want me to copy it to another parchment?" Remus was already pulling out quill, ink, and parchment.

"No, no, I meant accompaniment." Alex smiled.

"Oh. Er – for your girlfriend? Did you have a row?" Remus asked after he read some lines.

"Well, yeah, a little bit. She's been feeling a little neglected lately." They both took a minute to read the lines. "Um, Remus, buddy, do you mind? I mean, I still have a bit of homework to do. I've only got half of McGonagall's essay done. Also, I really really want your help. I'm gonna ask J.K. tomorrow, too. Um, just tap it thrice," Alex tapped the parchment thrice with his wand. "If you want to hear how it goes." An acoustic guitar.

"Nice." Remus complimented.

"Yeah, thanks," Alex beamed. "Um, is it okay?" He asked as he handed Remus the parchment.

"Er – what did you say you wanted me to do with it?" Remus asked.

"Music. The piano, I mean. I've got the guitar part sorted out. I sort of need keys and all." Alex shifted in his seat.

"Oh, alright. No problem."

"Thanks man. I owe you." He smiled and stood. "You're not going up yet, are you?" Alex asked before ascending the stairs.

"No, why?" He asked without taking his eyes off the parchment.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that –" Remus looked up at Alex. "Oh, nevermind. Thanks for helping." Then he disappeared into the staircase. By the time Alex was out of sight, his voice had filled the room.

_I have been blind, unwilling_

_To see the true love you're giving…_

"Gyn!" a whisper echoed through the dark empty corridor. She turned back to her libertine.

"What did I tell you, love?"

"Sorry, _Connor_. Catch you next time?" Paramour number-Merlin-knows-what was smiling widely, ostensibly satisfied about something.

"Yeah, about that," She walked closer to him and planted a kiss on his smiling lips. "You were fun and all. But, you really don't want to hang around me too often." She shook her head while straightening his blue and gold tie.

"But I thought you said –"

"Oh no, love. Don't do this to yourself." She took his lips between her index and thumb. "You've had your fun. You were just convenient for tonight." He slowly pulled himself away from the playful hands of Gyn Plata-Connor. "Well, _you_ and that _lovely_ Hufflepuff and those _wild_ Slytherin twins –" her mind wandered into the night's events.

"You are such a –"

"Oh no, don't bother. I know." She instantly spun on her heels; her jet-black hair brushed his hapless face as she did. She walked straight away, without bothering to speed up. She loved to inhale the discomfort.

"I'll have you. Mark my words, Connor." He hissed.

"Oooh sounds fun. I _can't_ wait." She sneered at him for a second before turning at another corridor.

She couldn't decide what the most amazing event of the night was. That fact that she had received her fourth death threat in one night was exciting for her. She decided that she was up for a fifth. And it wouldn't hurt if it happened in the convenience of her common room. She _did_ see Alex heading back to the tower a few minutes ago. And he had thrown her a smile despite the fact that he was struggling with the towel on his hair and she was at the end of the corridor. That little devil sure knows how to make a girl squirm with just a smile.

However, sleep was getting the better part of her. She walked lazily to face the Fat Lady and gave her the password ("_Sarpentinarae_"). She dragged her feet and climbed through the portrait hole and leaned on the wall beside the cloak hooks. She closed her eyes, positive that she was going to fall asleep right where she stood but Alex's voice awoke her.

_To see the true love you're giving_

_I have ignored every blessing_

_I'm on my knees –_

"Alex?"

She further entered the common room, her head leading her body. "Oh, hi." It wasn't Alex. Her need for a fifth threat subsided. Her eternity subsided. She simply wanted to run outside or to her bed. The Forbidden Forest appealed to her as well. Anywhere – just not here with him.

"Gyn. Hello." He sounded like he wanted to run away too.

"Remus. But I thought I just heard Alex singing?" She pretended to look around for Alex.

"Oh, no. It's this," He tapped the parchment thrice. "He charmed it to sing."

_I'm on my knees, confessing…_

"He asked me to listen to it."

_That I feel myself surrender each time I see your face…_

"Nice song." She finally decided that she looked stupid not looking at him. The song had stopped and Remus was rolling the parchment.

"Yeah." The moment Remus had finished rolling the parchment neatly, he found the silence between him and Gyn deafening.

"Are you still studying?" she pointed at the book on the couch.

"Well, no. I couldn't sleep. Er – were you – what were you – where –" he pointed at the portrait hole.

"Oh, me?"

"Well, no, sorry. You don't have to answer that. It's none of my business."

"Owlery. I had to-er-write an urgent message to my father."

"Oh. Alright." She knew that he knew that she was lying. But none of that mattered. Both he and Gyn knew that things were always going to be like this between them. "Er, maybe you want to hear more of Alex's singing?" Remus offered between stiff jaws.

"Er, no. You know, it's two in the morning and there's still that essay McGonagall wants." She damn well wanted to stay and listen to Alex's song.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Remus looked down on the keys of the piano.

"And… it's been a long day. But you know... I'd love to stay here with you anytime, _mate_." She tried her cool and calm approach but it seemed like she put too much emphasis on the word 'mate'. His face lit up, though, and she felt blood rush to her face.

"But… er –"

"Yes, McGonagall's essay." Remus filled in the lie for her.

"Yeah." Gyn could only look at the common room floor. "So…"

"Well, yeah. I'll catch you tomorrow." Remus let his fingers run through the white keys.

"Sure," Gyn walked to the spiral staircase. "Tomorrow." She whispered.

He couldn't risk being caught. He wanted to simply watch her walk away. Since that day after that Quidditch match against Severus Snape last year, all Remus had the courage for was to watch her walk away.

_I am staggered by your beauty_

_Your unassuming grace…_

Walk away with Severus. Walk away with that Gryffindor prefect last December. Walk away with that sixth year Hufflepuff tonight. Just walk away from him.

"Good night, Gyn." He whispered. He snatched the parchment and Alex's voice stopped. For a split second, he considered throwing the parchment to the fire. Remus tried to place his fingers on the keys but his fingers trembled. He laid down the parchment and tapped it thrice. He gave his word and he was going to keep it. He was depressed, but he wasn't impolite.

_And I feel my heart is turning,_

_Falling into place._

_I can't hide it,_

_Now hear my confession._

He moved the parchment again. After a deep breath, he figured his fingers would stop. They weren't trembling as much as they did two seconds ago. He tapped the parchment again and Alex's voice was now accompanied by a guitar.

_I have been wrong about you._

_I thought I was strong without you._

Gyn couldn't climb all the way to her dormitory. She sat against the closed door which led to the girls' side of the tower. She could still hear Alex's voice.

_I thought I was strong without you._

_For so long, nothing could move me._

_For so long, nothing could change me._

Remus stopped playing and moved the parchment. He was sure that everyone in the Gryffindor tower was asleep. He also knew that Alex's voice wasn't going to wake anyone. Somehow, though, the song seemed to resonate, as if the walls echoed each note and word of the song. He closed his eyes and made himself remember the lines. He tapped the parchment again.

_Now I feel myself surrender each time I see your face._

He climbed the staircase but instead of turning right, he turned left to face the door to the girls' dormitories. He found himself singing along with Alex.

_I am captured by your beauty,_

_Your unassuming grace._

_And I feel my heart is turning,_

_Falling into place._

_I can't hide it,_

_Now hear my confession._

Gyn thought the song found its way into her head. But she realised that Remus was already behind the door.

_You are the air that I breathe,_

He touched the door and sensed Gyn.

_You're the ground beneath my feet._

He leaned his forehead on the wooden door.

_When did I stop believing?_

He touched the handle and gripped it tightly. On the other side of the door, Gyn was ready to push open the barrier that prevented her from her happiness.

_That I feel myself surrender_

_Each time I see your face._

_I am staggered by your beauty,_

_Your unassuming grace._

_And I feel my heart is turning,_

_Falling into place._

_I can't hide it,_

_Now hear my confession…_

Until the last few guitar chords were plucked, Remus held onto the door handle. She was so near yet he couldn't make things easier for the both of them. A single move would've changed everything. A wooden door, which he could easily open, stood between now and forever. As the music faded, he let it go and moved away.


End file.
